S.C. Deputation Statement
July 10, 2012
It is with heavy hearts that Bishop Mark Lawrence and the South Carolina deputation to General Convention must report the final passage and adoption of Resolution A049, the Resolution to Authorize Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships. The Bishop and our deputation, in both speaking and voting against its passage, remains united and unanimous in our support of the historic understanding of “the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this Church has received them.” In the debate prior to the vote being taken, we spoke in favor of the minority report authored and presented by the Very Rev. David Thurlow. The Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina, in its statement of June 15 has articulated the clear position of our diocese on marriage. The South Carolina deputation wholeheartedly endorses that position. We grieve that General Convention has further departed from these values and adopted a resolution to permit pastoral license to violate the existing canons on marriage. We believe this decision will seriously wound the Church and ask to you join is in prayers for God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
The Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence
The Very Rev. John Burwell
The Rev. Canon Jim Lewis
The Very Rev. David Thurlow
Reid Boylston
Lydia Evans
Lonnie Hamilton
Elizabeth (Boo) Pennewill
This is a very weak response from people who should know better and respond more forcefully.
That last sentence needs some altering on it. A deputaion would surely have done a more complete and thoroughly thought out structure on that sentence that may have taken an entirely different thought method. But we also know the pressure that is undergone at this particular time in all of our lives. We love you people that lead the way for us silent, unspoken, orthodox voices alone in this wilderness that is surrounded by an insanity that attacks us from so many levels.
A better statement would have consisted of just one word…
ANATHEMA!
Isn’t this their report to the diocese? I would have been very pleased to see such a message from my bishop/deputation.
In Mission Council meetings, I always enjoyed a little humor interjected. No matter what side it came from, it always made the interaction a much easier reality. Now,…if one side of the confrontation was shoving it down the throats of the perceived losers faster than the perceived loser could handle, things had the possibility to change into “ribbing” then “flaunting” then “gloating”. Then God’s condemnation fell.
Until then, it is only beginning in a large number of Diocese of South Carolina’s gathering places!
I pray for our good Bishop Lawrence as the weight of this diocese rests on his shoulders. We must never forget, though, that God rests right beneath Bishop Lawrence’s shoulders.
Sooner or later, Bishop Lawrence and his flock are going to have to make a decision, and if Jefferts Schori keeps pushing the way she has been doing, there is going to be some [b]pushing back[/b] from them. Just what form that pushing back will take is anyone’s guess, but I wouldn’t care to bet that they’ll stay in TEC forever. People can only be pushed just so far before they rebel.
I’m surprised at the comments calling this a weak response. This was a facebook page posting, (right?) not a theological treatise. I understood it as a vehicle to report the news.
I believe SC authored a minority report. I wonder if that is available and whether Kendall will post it. Perhaps that provides more substantive counter-argument against Res. A-049.
Or if you’d hoped to see an outline of future strategy to “differentialte,” there will be time for that after the Bishop, standing committee and clergy have taken counsel.
I’ve never been to GC, but I imagine the exhaustion must be overwhelming. I know it was for me even from a distance the years I tried to very closely follow and blog about GC (notably 2006). Add to that the grief in the wake of this and other votes, and the ridicule the conservatives were facing constantly yesterday (which seems MUCH more pronounced than past years- that Twitter feed was an eye-opener)…
This faithful deputation needs our prayers above all!
Amen, Karen B.